We have been experiencing some problems with Your Archives which we are investigating and hope to resolve the issues soon. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

From Your Archives

It has been suggested that this article or section should be merged with Overseas Births, Marriages and Deaths (Discuss)

This article was originally one of a set of memoranda available only on paper in The National Archives' reading rooms. It acted as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. Please feel free to edit this page to improve the information

The records held relate mainly to births, deaths and marriages which are registered overseas, according to British law. The following is a summary of the records held:

Contents 1 Consular Returns (Events in Most Foreign Countries) 2 High Commission Returns (Events in Most Commonwealth Countries) Births and Deaths From 1 January 1965 3 Service Records 3.1 Army Records 3.2 Royal Air Force Returns 3.3 Royal Navy Returns 4 Records of Births and Deaths at Sea Since 1 July 1837 5 Records of Births and Deaths in Aircraft 6 Records of Births and Deaths on Hovercraft 7 Records of Deaths on Off-Shore Installations 8 Other Records 8.1 'Article 7' MARRIAGES (see attached list) 8.2 High Commission Marriage Certificates 8.3 Miscellaneous Records (Entries No Longer Received)

[edit] Consular Returns (Events in Most Foreign Countries)

• BIRTHS FROM 7 NOVEMBER 1949, DEATHS FROM 19 JULY 1849 (although dates vary for different countries)
  

These returns are made to the Registrar General annually, under the Registration of Overseas Births and Deaths Regulations 1982 (made by the Secretary of State in accordance with Section 41(1) (i) of the British Nationality Act 1981).

[The records were originally kept in accordance with Foreign Office instructions. The instructions were subsequently embodied in regulations made under the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Acts 1914-43, and the British Nationality Act 1948].

• marriages from July 1849 (Although dates vary for different countries)

Annual returns of marriages are made under the Foreign Marriage Acts 1982 and 1947.

[These records were originally made under the Consular Marriages Act 1849 up to 1892 when the enactments relating to the marriage of British subjects outside the United Kinddon were sonsolidatded in the Foreign Marriage Act 1892.]

[edit] High Commission Returns (Events in Most Commonwealth Countries) Births and Deaths From 1 January 1965

Returns from most commonwealth countries are made to the Registrar General annually under the Registration of Overseas Births and Deaths Regulations.

[Prior to the Registration of Births and Deaths (High Commissioners) Regulations 1964 which came into effect on 1 January 1965, High Commission registration had been made since 1950 on a non-statutory basis in Sri Lanka, Ghana, India and Pakistan.]

[edit] Service Records

Returns of births, deaths and marriages among members of the HM Forces and certain other persons working for or attached to HM Forces are made on a half-annual basis under the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Special Provisions) Act 1957.

[edit] Army Records

Entries in the Army registers date mainly from 1881 - returns made under the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Army) Act 1879, although some records extend as far back as 1761.

[edit] Royal Air Force Returns

Returns relating to the Royal Air Forcwe commencing in 1920.

[edit] Royal Navy Returns

Prior to the Registrations of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Special Provisions) Act 1957, returns were received direct from HM ships in accordance with Section 37(6) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1874.

[edit] Records of Births and Deaths at Sea Since 1 July 1837

Monthly reports and returns of births and deaths on British registered ships or on foreign ships travelling to or from British ports, received from the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, Block 2 Government Buildings, St Agnus Road, Gabalfa, Cardiff CF 4 4YA.
The returns are made under the Merchant Shipping (Returns of Births and Deaths (Regulations) 1979, as provided by Section 72 and 92 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970 and Sections 29 and 30 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1979.

[Up to 1874 certified copies of events occuring on board British vessels were sent to the RG (GRO) under the Births and Deaths Registrations Act 18376 by Captains, Commanding Officers and Maters. After this date they were sent to the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen in accordance with the Births and Deaths Registrations Act 1874 (Section 37).

[edit] Records of Births and Deaths in Aircraft

Returns of births and deaths occuring in any part of the world in British registered aircraft commenced in 1949. The returns are made by the Civil Aviation Authority within 7 days of registration, under the Civil Aviations (Births, Deaths and Missing Persons) Regulations 1948 and the Civil Aviation Acts 1946 and 1949.
Address to contact: Civil Aviation Authority, 45-59 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6TE.

[edit] Records of Births and Deaths on Hovercraft

These returns commenced in 1972 and relate to births and deaths on UK registered hovercraft. The returns are received from the Department of Trade and Industry within seven days of registration and are made under the Hovercraft (Births, Deaths and Missing Persons) Regualations 1972 (Civil Aviation Acts 1949 and 1971 (Section 55)). The address to contact is: The Marine Directorate, Sunley House, 90-93 High Holborn, London.

[edit] Records of Deaths on Off-Shore Installations

Returns of deaths on Offshore installtions commenced in 1972. The returns are made by the owner of the Installation to the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen within 10 days of the event; the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen then forwards copies to GRO.

[Mineral workings (Offshore Installations)Act 1971 (S7(i) and the Offshore Installations (Logbooks and Registration) of Death) Regulations 1972.]

[edit] Other Records

[edit] 'Article 7' MARRIAGES (see attached list)

These are certificates (and translations if necessary) of marriages solemnised in foreign countries according to local law, which are deposited with the records of this Office under the provisions of Article 7 of the Foreign Marriage Order 1970. At least one of the parties to the Marriage must be British, and the certificates are received direct from HM Consuls.

[Previous legislation was the Foreign Marriage Order 1964 - Article 18.]

[edit] High Commission Marriage Certificates

Since 1950, arrangements have existed for British High Commissioners in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ghana to send certificates of local marriages involving British subjects, for deposit here; on a non statutory basis. However, since the end of 1991 provision for depositing marriage documents from these countries have ceased.

[edit] Miscellaneous Records (Entries No Longer Received)

These are a variety of records held in ORS which include entries made by Political Agents in the Persian Gulf States and by the 'High Commissioner' in Brunei and registers from certain British Churches abroad.